novelonline Chapter 2526 I've been fooled by Shanks again!
Chapter 2526 I've been fooled by Shanks again!
Chapter 2526 I've been fooled by Shanks again!
Do you like money?
Kakuzu ignored Hyōzō's attempts to save face and went straight to the point.
"money?"
"Are you stupid?"
"In this world, besides life, money is the most important thing!"
"However, sometimes money can buy life, and even power."
After saying that, without waiting for the shopkeeper to bring him the sake, Hyōzō grabbed the half-bottle of sake in front of Kakuzu and took a big gulp, his face immediately turning slightly red.
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, Kakuzu's eyes lit up.
No wonder I couldn't feel any aversion to him; we're kindred spirits.
"That's easy to say."
"You're not bad at all, and you're a swordsman who can hold the line."
"Let's team up as bounty hunters."
"Well----"
Leopard raised an eyebrow, pondered for a few seconds, then shook his head and refused: "I've already taken Ah Long's commission."
"How much did he give you, and what was the timeframe?"
"Five thousand Berries a month, no time limit mentioned. I just follow him as a member of the Fishman Adventurer Group, and he pays for all my food and drinks. I think it's pretty good, especially since we all come from Fishman Street, so it's a good relationship."
Leopard took the bottle of liquor from the boss and muttered something under his breath.
“I’ll give you ten thousand a month, and you’ll get twenty percent of the bonuses.”
Jiaodu quickly calculated the gains and losses in his mind, as well as the current and future value of the Leopard's Hideout, and gave what he considered to be a suitable price.
Leopard's swordsmanship is passable, but there is still room for improvement.
As a fish-man, one possesses exceptional underwater combat abilities, which is a significant advantage in starfish.
They can play a vital role in critical moments.
I heard they can also use poison, which is even better. Sometimes, you don't have to go to great lengths to achieve your goal.
Most importantly, their values and morals are almost identical.
"Ten thousand?"
Leopard's eyes shone like light bulbs. He was a heavy drinker, but his love for money surpassed even that.
"A bounty hunter?"
"It sounds like it has a much better future than following Ah Long, and it's also much freer!"
"After the 'Top 100 Competition' is over, I'll go talk to him and see if he's willing to pay more!"
Kakuzu nodded: "Okay."
After finishing his business, Leopard took another big gulp, looked at the raw beef liver and oily monkfish liver on the table, and grinned, "Your taste is really strange."
Kakuzu swallowed a piece of fish liver without changing his expression: "High in protein, rich in iron, one of the best value choices."
After a pause, watching Leopard drink heavily, he added, "If you're often in this drunken state, then disregard what I said before. I don't need a partner who might mess things up at any moment."
"Hmph, don't worry, as long as you pay me enough, I can temporarily refrain from drinking before the operation."
As he spoke, Leopard exhaled a satisfied breath of alcohol and casually asked:
"By the way, you're a ninja, right? With your strength, why didn't that sea ninja village recruit you?"
Kakuzu calmly said, "They did send an invitation, but they belong to the military, there are too many rules, they have no freedom whatsoever, and they have no interest in following the orders of the so-called 'Shadow,' and they wouldn't make much money from it anyway."
He picked up his glass but didn't drink; he simply gazed at the reflection in it.
"Wealth only has meaning in the process of pursuing it."
"But it's also very pleasing to the eye to see the money I've saved."
Slightly drunk, Leopard chuckled, "I enjoy the process of spending money more."
"Make money freely, drink to your heart's content, and spend money as you please."
"So."
Upon seeing this, Kakuzu raised his wine cup, for the first time taking the initiative to ask, "For money?"
"Yes, for the money!"
"cheers!"
"Ha ha ha ha----"
Leopard laughed loudly and smashed the wine bottle in his hand against the moon, then tilted his head back and drank it down in a frenzy.
By this time, the sun had completely sunk below the horizon.
Under the night sky, two people from different worlds become friends through a misunderstanding caused by their shared hobby.
They made a pact to become partners.
The World News Broadcast then ended, and the stage scene of the 'Top 100 Competition Opening Ceremony' began to appear on screens of all sizes.
Many people can see the island clouds, which are temporarily created in the sky, covering most of the island, simply by looking up.
Its four directions are connected to the ground by cloud-formed staircases.
It makes it convenient for people who want to watch the event in person to come and go.
It was 7:30.
An old acquaintance of everyone's.
As the host of the 'Top 100 Competition' and tonight.
Gaz is dressed as a traditional gladiator from Dressrosa.
His loud voice resounded throughout the venue through the microphone.
It even spread to thousands of households around the world.
"All rise!"
"The first item on the opening ceremony agenda: Play the Starfish Song and raise the world flag!"
[Whoosh—]
next moment.
Everyone on Whiskey Hill Island, no matter where they were, stood up spontaneously.
Even those who were unwilling in some taverns would quickly stand up under the fierce gazes of those around them.
This is the public support that governments around the world have gained over the past decade.
A melodious tune titled 'Guidance of the Sea' slowly began to play.
The World Government flag, emblazoned with five circular crosses, rose along the flagpole under the watchful eyes of countless people.
The two people under the flag were specially invited by the organizers of the Top 100 Combat Power Competition.
A pair of honor guards, one in white and one in black, dressed in army and navy uniforms and suits respectively.
Holding his command sword, he stood tall and looked straight ahead.
Listen to the whole audience singing together, and protect the flags fluttering in the wind behind us.
At this moment, even in worlds like Kabane, Demon Slayer, Teigu, and Zero Magic, countless audience members stood up and sang.
This is the world government today!
The song is over.
Gaz picked up the microphone and shouted, "Now, please welcome the president of the Adventurers' Guild, Figaland Shanks, to speak! Everyone in the audience, please kneel down!"
"No need. I'm just saying a few words as the president, not as a Celestial Dragon."
Shanks, dressed in a black and red suit with a black cape, strode onto the stage and spoke up to stop everyone before they could make a move.
He doesn't need a microphone to make sure everyone in the room can hear him.
Under several bright spotlights, Shanks surveyed the tens of thousands of different faces in the audience.
Then a signature cheerful and confident smile appeared on his face.
This made many people feel good about him when they met him for the first time.
"Good evening, friends from all over the world, adventurers, and contestants!"
"I am Shanks, the second president of the Adventurers' Guild."
"Seeing your faces, so full of energy, ambition, and dreams."
"I feel my blood boiling. I really wish I could participate in this year's 'Top 100 Combat Power Competition' just like everyone else."
“I know that some of you carry heavy aspirations, and some harbor the goal of proving your strength.”
"Some people just want to see a wider world, find stronger opponents, and challenge their own limits."
"Whatever your reasons, the moment you decide to sign up for the competition, you've already become a respectable warrior."
Inside the Star-level suite.
Chido, Lala, Sesshomaru, Naraku, Kagome Higurashi, Sasori, Nagato, and others were seated around a large round table.
I found myself falling silent, listening intently to Shanks' speech.
Only Bucky stared at Shanks on the screen, gritting his teeth and muttering to himself.
"What a show-off! That bastard, I'm so jealous!"
"I should have gone up and said a few words, but they made me come here to watch over Cheetos!"
"They said this guy is dangerous, that it concerns the starfish's safety, and they don't trust anyone else to handle him."
"Ugh, I've been fooled by him again. He's just a little brat pretending to be an adult."
(End of this chapter)